Beyond Outward Appearances
by Correlation
Summary: Sonny is surprised when she witnesses Chad defending someone he doesn't know. When she confronts him he shows her what motivated him to defend the girl from verbal teasing. And she could have never predicted what he was about to show her.
1. Chapter 1

Ok, so I was working on a personal story and decided to rework it a little bit to fit Sonny and Chad. This one is going to be multiple chapters. It isn't as edited as my previous stories, so hopefully its still good. I'm still not sure exactly how long it is going to be. Hope you like it.  


* * *

"What's wrong with her?"

"She looks deformed."

Their voices broke through the other noises that surrounded me. I sat watching the _Falls_ cast make fun of the poor girl in the arcade. The entire studio had a day off and each show was assigned different places to "mingle" today. _So Random _and _Mackenzie Falls _were assigned the arcade. I didn't think I could stand it any longer, it wasn't her fault. It looked as though her arm was underdeveloped as it stopped around the elbow and her walk had a slight hitch to it. Just because they were 'perfect' it didn't mean that they could pick on those who weren't.

Just as I was about to say something to stop their cruel comments, someone else did it for me.

"What is your problem?" I turned my head to see who it was. Chad. Chad Dylan Cooper was defending the girl, how unexpected, "Grow up, guys. That is sick; I can't believe you are picking on someone because of something they can't control. She didn't ask to be different. I bet all she wishes is that she fit in with everyone else. Go find something else to talk about."

I watched flabbergasted. A couple of his cast mates looked at him as if he had lost his mind as they walked away, whispering as they went.

"I can hear you," his voice was tight with anger. With his comment, the whispering died out and they went to the other side of the room.

He made his way over to the girl who was struggling to walk up the couple steps to the food court. I watched with a hint of confusion, I wasn't really sure what he was doing.

"Here, would you like some help?" his smile was genuine as he looked at the girl. She had to be around our age. She looked like she was about to refuse him until she realized who he was.

"You're Chad Dylan Cooper."

"Oh, I guess I am. Call me Chad," he responded in a friendly tone.

"Chad," her look of frustration morphed into a grin, "I'd love your assistance."

He gave her his arm, which she willingly took, to give her support as she tackled the few stairs.

"Thank you," she gushed, "Do you think I could get a picture with you?"

He shrugged, "I don't see the harm."

From her small purse that she had over her shoulder she extracted a camera. Chad took it from her and his blue eyes scanned the room. As his gaze settled on me, I looked away. There was no way I was going to let him catch me starring at him.

"Sonny."

I looked up, how can I not? America's heartthrob was calling my name. He motioned for me to join them. I stood up slowly; I still wasn't sure how to perceive this 'new' Chad. For all I knew, he could be faking it. When I reached them, he handed me the camera with a grin.

"Could you take a picture of me and Maggie?"

I did a double take; I didn't realize that he had learned her name or that he cared.

"Maggie, meet my friend Sonny Munroe."

The girl's face broke into an even bigger smile, "My brother and I watch your show all the time!"

"Well, then" I replied, "anything for a fan."

After she posed with Chad, she took a picture with me and then made the two of us have our picture taken together. She was thrilled to have met her favorite celebrities. Her face fell when her mom showed up to inform her that it was time to go.

Chad noticed this and his face softened, "How about this? I'll arrange for you to watch the taping of my show."

"Would you really?" her amber eyes sparkled as she gazed up at him, transfixed by what he had said.

"Of course, anything for you, Maggie."

She gave him a giant hug, her grin mirroring his own. Her mom gently ushered her away from us as she bid us farewell.

"What was that, Chad?" I asked as soon as she left.

"What?"

"That! You being nice and defending that girl. That's not the Chad Dylan Cooper I know."

He looked at me for a moment as if he were trying to figure out how to word what he was trying to say, "Then you don't know me at all, Sonny."

"What I don't get is why? I know that you can be nice every once in a while, but that was," now it was my turn to search for the right word, "different."

"You want to know why, Munroe? Do you want to know why I treated that girl with a bit of respect when my cast mates were picking fun?" I nodded, "I'll show you why. Come with me."

I followed him out to his car and slid into the passenger seat as he held the door open for me. As he started the car and pulled out onto the street, I looked at him.

"Where are we going?"

"My house."


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to the support of everyone who reviewed and all of those who put a story alert or favorite on this story. I'm thrilled by your feedback.

I was really excited to see that my last chapter was 999 words, that's one of those things that amuse me immensely. I'm a number nerd. :)

* * *

Chaddy!" a small voice came as soon as we entered the door. From across the family room came a small girl, who looked around the age of seven. She tried to move fast, but it was immediately obvious that doing so was impossible. She wore a brace on her left leg and was hobbling towards us on crutches that attached to her upper arm. This is what he wanted me to see, what he wanted to show me. His sister was disabled.

Chad moved in from the door and caught the girl halfway as she hugged him tightly, "How're you doing, Chrissy?"

"Good! Mom and I went to the park today and she said I could go to the pool when you got here. Come on, Chaddy, get changed so we can go outside."

He laughed good naturedly and stepped back from her, "Chrissy, this is my friend Sonny."

Her bright blue eyes opened wide, "You're the girl on TV that Chad talks about."

He chuckled uncomfortably, "Christina, do you remember what I told you about her?"

She nodded furiously, "If Sonny ever comes over; you are not to tell her that I talk about her."

He rolled his eyes and I resisted the urge to tease him about this. His cheeks were flushed red with embarrassment.

The clicking of heels approached us and I turned to see a tall woman with strawberry blonde hair walking towards us.

"Chad, is that you?"

"In the family room, Mom"

The tall woman reached us and regarded me carefully, "Mom, this is my friend, Sonny. I brought her here to meet Chrissy."

Mrs. Cooper seemed slightly taken back by his words, but tried to cover it up, "Well then, nice to meet you, Sonny," as she extended her hand towards me.

Chrissy interrupted any reply I could have made by asking, "Mommy, now that Chaddy's home, can we go swimming?"

"Sweetheart, I'm not sure if Chad wants to swim, he's got a guest."

He looked at me momentarily and seemed to get an answer from my eyes for he responded, "Chrissy, of course I'll go swimming with you. Sonny, you don't mind do you?"

I thought about it a minute, he did ask me, instead of assuming, which was a first. Besides, with his sister's bright blue eyes, I wasn't sure if I could deny the young girl what she wanted. I shook my head in response.

"Yay!" she giggled as she swiftly followed her mother away.

Chad grabbed my hand and pulled me up the stairs. We passed several closed doors until we came to one that sat at the end of the hallway. When he opened the door, I saw boxes piled two high. He opened one on top and dug for a minute or two. Finally, he pulled out a pair of blue board shorts and handed them to me.

"What are these for?" I questioned as he shut the box and closed the door.

"For you to wear," his tone indicating that he thought it was pretty obvious.

"Chad, I'm not going to swim."

He glanced at me, a contemplative look on his face, "Oh," I wasn't sure if it was just me, but it seemed like he was a bit disappointed, "Still, you're going to get hot sitting outside in that outfit." I looked at my clothes and realized he was right. I was wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a red knit top.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Good."

"Good."

He began walking again and I followed a couple steps behind him. He opened another door and ushered me in. It was his room. The walls were painted a pale green and he had lightly stained wood furniture. His bed had a simple blue bedspread and there were a couple of photographs on the nightstand. Other than that, it was pretty ordinary. Nothing reminiscent of his show or himself was to be found. I was impressed. He pulled open a drawer and tossed me a grey t-shirt.

"Thanks," I replied, still watching him as he grabbed a white t-shirt and a black bathing suit.

"There's a bathroom down the hall if you want to use it to change. Second door on the right."

I followed his instructions and quickly slipped out of my clothes and into his. As I pulled his shirt over my head, I inhaled. It had a faint smell that reminded me of Chad; it had the fresh scent of laundry detergent mixed with his cologne. I quickly exited the bathroom and made my way back to his room. I paused at the doorway when I spotted him. He was laying on his bed, his eyes closed, while softly singing to himself. His voice was too low for me to make out the words. I stared for a moment before clearing my throat. He opened his eyes slowly and hopped off the bed. His eyes made their way over my body and I waited to hear what he had to say.

"You know, Munroe, you don't look too bad in my clothes," I was about to protest, but his voice gave off a joking air and I could see the small grin plastered on his face.

*

I sat on the side of the pool, my legs dangling over the edge, watching Chad with his younger sister.

His mother came outside and sat next to me, letting her own feet touch the water for a moment. She began speaking without any real introduction, and I was caught off-guard. "Christina was born with one leg shorter than the other. She's had one surgery to help fix it so she can walk more comfortably and will have another one once she turns eight. Chad is very protective of her. A lot of kids have teased her mercilessly and he won't stand for it. She looks up to him so much. I'm just grateful that he takes care of her. He's a good brother."

I agreed with her as Chrissy splashed her older brother while sitting on a pool noodle.

"I'm glad he brought you here, Sonny. He never brings anyone home, especially not when Chrissy is awake."

I was about to protest, saying that he shouldn't be embarrassed by his sister's, well, for lack of a better word, deformity.

"Let me explain, Sonny. Chad isn't embarrassed by her, only overprotective. I'm not sure if you know, but his cast can be," she seemed to be searching for the right word.

"Cruel?" I offered.

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

"They were making fun of a girl at the arcade today. Chad stood up for her."

"Ahh, so you see it exactly. Teenagers pick fun and make jokes. Chad doesn't want her to experience their ridiculing. Most people don't have something nice to say, so he tries to avoid situations that might lead to that."

I sat for a moment, starring off; thinking about what she was saying. When I broke out of it, she was gone. Their mom had retreated to a chair in the shade, reading a magazine, all the while keeping a watchful eye on her children.

"How are you?"

I turned around startled. Chad was standing; actually he was treading water, in front of me. Chrissy had returned to a ledge in the pool, watching us intently.

"Fine."

"Come in."

"Chad, I'm not wearing a bathing suit."

"I know," he smiled briefly, "why do you think I made you change into some of my clothes?"

I had almost forgotten that I was now wearing a pair of board shorts he claimed didn't fit anymore and a grey t-shirt.

"Chad, that doesn't change anything, this is just better than what I was wearing at the arcade."

He gave me a look that melted my resolve, "Chrissy would really like it if you came in with us," he glanced over his shoulder at his younger sister, who nodded her head furiously.

He could tell that I was giving in. He took my hand and gently pulled me off the edge. I knocked into him and he held me there for a moment. His chest moved against mine as he breathed. "Thank you, Sunshine."

I grinned as he said that. Chad released me and I glanced at him. His blond hair was dark with water and his blue eyes reflected the sunlight the bounced off the water. He looked, dare I say it, sweet. We slowly swam over to Chrissy who was waiting quite impatiently.

When we reached her, she pushed off the edge and Chad lunged forward to catch her, "Yay, Sonny is going to swim with us."

"That's right, Chrissy, I'm going to swim with you and Chad," I replied, her excitement was infectious.

She whispered something into her big brother's ear and he set her back onto her noodle. Both of them wore the same grin. I could tell that it wasn't a good look. Before I could turn around, Chad caught me around my waist and pulled me to the other side of him so that I was between him and Chrissy. That's when his sister started splashing me relentlessly as he held me there, so that I couldn't escape.

I squirmed in his grasp, trying to avoid the onslaught of water that came my way. All of a sudden it stopped. I opened my eyes to see Mrs. Cooper standing at the edge of the pool. She was watching all of us intently, "Chrissy, it's time to get out. Let Chad and Sonny hang out for a little bit, then I'm sure Chad will play a game with you later."

Chrissy reluctantly made her way to the edge of the pool. Chad released me and heaved himself onto the edge of the pool, steadying his younger sister while their mother helped her get the crutches situated.

As soon as his family was inside he slipped back into the pool and made his way over to me.

"So, what do you want to do now?"

I shrugged my shoulders while letting my gaze scan our surroundings. That's when something caught my attention in an alcove created by the rocks surrounding one edge of the pool.

"Is that a waterfall?" his eyes followed mine.

I could hear the grin in his voice, "Yeah, you want to go over there?"

I didn't wait to answer him, but grabbed his arm and tried to pull him towards the object of my attention. He gently removed his wrist from my grasp and swam ahead of me. When I caught up with him, he was standing about a foot away from the waterfall waiting for me to arrive.

"Too fast for you, Munroe?"

"NO! I was slowed down by the shirt. If I had been wearing a bathing suit, I would have beat you easily." His comment ticked me off slightly, so I placed my hands on his shoulders and pushed him underneath the turbulent water. His face wore a look of shock which slowly morphed into a sneaky grin. He grabbed my own shoulders and dropped under the water, pulling me with him. As a result, I was the one who ended up under the pounding water. I paddled my way out from underneath the waterfall.

I glanced around briefly and didn't see Chad resurface. I didn't have too much time to think about that for I felt myself be thrust from the water. Chad had sprung up underneath me and lifted me out of the water and onto his shoulders.

"Chad Dylan Cooper! What are you doing?" I yelled at him.

His arms gripped my calves as I flailed around a bit. He was trying to make sure that I wouldn't fall. I grinned at the gesture. My joy didn't last long as he suddenly slipped under the water's surface and released me, causing me to fall ungracefully back into the cool water.


	3. Chapter 3

So, I'm going to apologize to all of you who have been waiting patiently (or maybe impatiently) for the next chapter. Schoolwork is overwhelming with finals prep and stuff like that, but school's almost out, so I'm going to have more time to do stuff that I want, which includes writing. If any of you have ideas that you think I should use, feel free to suggest and if I use them I will be sure to credit it. Again, I'm sorry for the wait time and I hope you guys understand that it is unlikely that I'll have this updated again in the next few weeks.

* * *

I ended up staying through dinner. I must say, I enjoyed their company extremely. Chrissy recounted every minute of her day to us and Chad responded enthusiastically. We ate this teriyaki chicken Mrs. Cooper made, and I must say it was divine. I was surprised to see that they didn't have someone to prepare their meals, and then I learned that it was a hobby of hers. I was pleased when Chad invited me to stay for dinner. My own mother was out of town for the week and it was awfully lonely eating by myself.

Later, we found ourselves lying on his bed laughing as we joked around when Chrissy walked in. Chad sat up as soon as he heard the clicking of the rubber stoppers of her crutches on the wood floor.

"Chaddy?" her voice was timid, unlike the girl I had met only hours earlier. He raised his eyes in question, so she continued, "would you play me your new song?"

I looked over at him curiously. I didn't know he played any kind of instrument or wrote songs for that matter. I felt that if he did, I would have known about it. He sighed and slid off of the bed, picked up his sister, placed her on the bed next to me and crossed the room. My eyes watched him walk to two guitars sitting in the corner of his room. I'm not sure how I missed them before, because on a couple stands he had an acoustic and an electric guitar. Chad grabbed the acoustic and returned to sit with us. As soon as he was seated, he strummed a couple of notes and adjusted the pitch a bit. Chrissy moved closer to me as he began playing an unfamiliar tune. The notes flowed easily and I could feel myself getting caught up in the obvious message behind just the music. There was a highly personal feel to the progression of notes he played. I lay back down and closed my eyes, letting the lyrical quality of the music overwhelm me. The music stopped and I slowly opened my eyes to glance over at him.

"Chad," her voice broke through the silence we had fallen into, "Sing." There was a commanding air to her tone, and it was clear that he normally let her have her way.

"Not today, Chrissy."

"Why not?" her blue eyes watered.

"The lyrics aren't done, when they're done, I'll sing it to you."

"My turn?" she asked hopefully. I was amazed how easily he pacified her and how quickly her mind switched track.

He smiled, "Of course."

She pulled away from me and sat on his lap. Chrissy pulled the guitar towards them and he put his hands over hers. She giggled happily when she began to play the first few notes of his song, his hands guiding hers. They went about halfway through the song when she removed her hands and leaned against her older brother's chest. I wish I had a camera for this moment. This was the Chad I liked. This wasn't the Chad that the media saw. No, this was the real Chad and I didn't want him to ever leave. Today he removed his mask completely. He was no longer the jerk that had a demeaning comment for everyone. Now he was the boy with a heart bigger than I had ever imagined.

Their mom softly called up to Chrissy telling her it was time to get ready for bed. I glanced over at his bedside clock, it was nearly eight.

"Night, Chaddy," she said softly as she hugged him tightly to her. She peaked at me from behind his shoulder, "Goodnight, Sonny."

I bade her goodnight and she hobbled out of the room. Chad set his guitar on the ground and then rolled over onto his stomach to look at me. I got lost in his eyes for a moment before I regained focus.

"So, I didn't know you played guitar."

He gave me a lopsided grin, "I told you that there was a lot you didn't know about me."

I returned the grin, unsure of where things were going. He seemed to be lost in thought, but he suddenly spoke, "Do you want to go out to the hammock?"

I bobbled my head and he led me out to the backyard. His hand was in mine and I made no move to remove it. The sun was skimming the horizon and the grass was bathed in a low glow. The hammock hung on the opposite side of a small grove of trees that surrounded a portion of the pool area. We lay down on it perpendicularly and he pushed it slowly with his feet. The gentle rocking motion soothed me and I stared up into the sky. The stars were barely visible, but I knew they were there. So much reminded me of Wisconsin, although everything was so different.

"I'm glad I brought you here today," Chad's voice broke the silence that overwhelmed us.

"Well, I'm glad you brought me," was my reply.

"Chrissy seems to like you. I think she was glad that I finally brought home someone from work for her to meet," he paused briefly as if to allow me a chance to speak, but soon continued, "I'm sure my mom told you, so I won't go into why she's never met anyone from the studio."

I nodded despite the fact that he couldn't see me for he too was gazing into the night sky.

"Hey, Chad?"

"Yeah?" his gaze left the sky and returned to me.

"I hate to say it, but I should get home. We've got work tomorrow."

He glanced at his watch briefly, "Shoot. Come on, I'll take you home."

The car ride was silent for the most part, with me giving him directions every few minutes. It wasn't long before he was parked in front of my apartment. I unbuckled and was about to thank him when I noticed he was opening his door. I guess he saw the confusion in my face because he grinned.

"What? Do you think that Chad Dylan Cooper doesn't have any manners? The one thing my mom drilled into me was how to treat a girl. And I am to walk a girl to the door."

"You've got to be kidding me?"

He grinned slyly, "I wish. My mom would never let me live if I didn't know how to be a 'gentleman.' She made me take classes and everything."

"Well then, we can't disappoint her," I replied as I hooked my arm through his.

When we were standing outside of the door to my apartment, I bade him goodnight.

"Thanks for everything, Chad. Thanks for letting me into your world. I enjoyed meeting Chrissy."

He shook his hair before replying, "No problem. I'm glad I did. So I'll see you tomorrow at the studio."

Before he left, he placed a chaste kiss on my cheek. When I got over my initial shock and was able to speak again, he was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

I really apologize to those of you who were waiting on another chapter, unfortunately, real life got in the way. I've been busy with weddings, graduation stuff, exams, all kinds of fun stuff that prevented me from working on this story, including an original story that I've gotten really into developing the characters for. Since I already made you wait so long, I will stop talking and publish this.

* * *

I smoothed my pleated black skirt as I stepped out of my car at the studio. I mentally prepared myself for what lay ahead. The problem was, I didn't know what to expect. After yesterday, when I met the real CDC, things had to have changed between the two of us. Chad had opened up, shown me someone I never expected to see. It was pretty obvious that things were about to change, and big time.

I pushed through the studio door and mentally prepared myself for whatever was going to happen today. It didn't take long before I ran into Chad in the hallway between our sets. He was walking swiftly, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Hey, Chad," I greeted him happily.

"Sonny," he responded before continuing on his way.

"Wait, Chad, I was wondering if I could talk to you."

I glanced over to see if he responded, but he was still walking, about to round the corner and disappear from sight.

"CHAD!"

Nothing, absolutely nothing, and now he was gone. Great, this wasn't what I was expecting. Apparently nothing had changed.

I didn't act as well as I should have during morning rehearsal. My heart wasn't in it; my mind was only half paying attention. The other half was wondering about Chad, it was secretly fuming. The problem was that everyone was noticing that I wasn't up to par, even Tawni. I was quickly becoming embarrassed and my embarrassment did nothing to ease my anger at a certain blond boy.

It was finally time for lunch and I was secretly thrilled so that I could escape the torturous rehearsal. At the same time, I was dreading the possibility of running into Chad. I couldn't stand the thought of having to deal with him after this morning. I was hurt by his actions and I wasn't sure how I would react when I saw him again. As soon as I stepped into the cafeteria, I spotted him. He was sitting at a two-person table alone. When my cast and I entered the busy room, he looked up and caught my eye with his. I desperately wanted to look away, but found that I could not. It was agonizing. Once he had caught my eye, he had me. He took his index finger and silently beckoned me to meet him at the table. I secretly hoped that one of my cast-mates would save me somehow, but no avail. I walked over to him and sat down across from him. I played with my fingernails until he spoke. He made me come over, so he had to do the talking.

"Look, Sonny, I'm sorry about earlier, but I was running late for makeup," he gave me a half-smile, almost as though he was afraid that I was going to ignore him.

"I got it, it makes perfect sense. I'm glad you told me," was my response, but to my ears it sounded too rushed and even I didn't believe what was coming out of my mouth. Deep down, though I wouldn't dare admit it, I was hurt. His insensitivity hurt me. He could have done more than said hi; he could have said that he had to run, since he was late, something, anything else.

"So are we good?" he asked, he seemed sincere enough.

"We are so good," I grinned at him despite my fury.

He stood up from his chair and extended his hand in order help her from the seat. She took it gratefully. It was sweet; this was the guy she had met yesterday. The other Chad had evaporated once again.

"I'll get you a strawberry milkshake, on me."

The next couple weeks were comfortable; we talked about various things around work, while trying not to be noticed by our friends. He had invited me over again to hang out and play in the pool with Chrissy. He played guitar a couple of times, each time straying away from the song he played when I had first come over. He was hiding something; it was pretty easy to spot, even without Chrissy's help. She swore the song was complete and that she couldn't figure out why he refused to play it. She told me that he had sung it to her recently and that she didn't know why he couldn't sing it now. I liked the way things were going. It was an easy relationship, very little stress.

I could hear banging of doors from where I was in the hallway on the way to the cafeteria. Angry footsteps were nearing me. These footsteps belonged to Chad Dylan Cooper. His face was contorted with fury.

I argued with myself back and forth for a moment, wondering how to approach the situation.

He walked past me without a second glance.

"Chad, wait!"

He turned on his heel and looked at me.

"Go away, Sonny."

"No."

"What?" his eyes flashed to my face.

"No, not until you tell me what your problem is."

"Fine, I just received a letter from my father. He's not returning from Iraq as planned. He's been given orders to remain overseas for another six months. He's missing Chrissy's birthday and surgery. Do you know how devastated she'll be? We haven't seen him in almost two years, Sonny. She's going to be crushed."

"I don't think this is about Chrissy," I tried to make my voice as calm as possible.

"What do you mean? Of course it is."

"Let me rephrase. This isn't only about Chrissy. It's also about you."

He glared at me venomously. I had it the nail on the head.

"You've got it wrong."

"Chad, listen to me. You miss your dad as much as Chrissy does."

He crossed his arms, still glaring at me with a deep hatred, "I don't have to listen to this."

With those final words, he left. Disappeared around a corner and was out of sight. I wanted to cry. I could feel the tears start to well up in my eyes. I made a vain attempt to prevent the tears from leaking from my brown eyes. Needless to say, it didn't work. As I slid down the wall to sit in the middle of the hallway, water droplets fell onto my pink t-shirt. I willed myself not to scream in frustration.

I didn't know what to do. I knew what the problem was, but I couldn't get him to listen to me. Chad wasn't the person I had seen just last week, he had returned to the selfish jerk I had met months ago. My tears had ceased, but I still felt helpless. He was my friend, or at least I thought he was and I wanted to help him. I just didn't know how. Chad was, well, for lack of a better word, complicated. He puts up this front and wants everyone to believe that he is tough. Underneath, he was a softie at least that is what I was starting to believe. After everything I had seen at his house with Chrissy, I just couldn't believe he was emotionless. I knew he wasn't emotionless. That wasn't even the right word, it couldn't be; even his outburst was a display of emotion. Heartless, that was the word that used to come to mind when I thought about Chad Dylan Cooper.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for being patient, I'm out of the house all day and when I get home I'm too tired to put a lot of time into writing this story. I'm working on a couple different novels that I'm hoping will one day be published in addition to this, so when I do have the time to write, that's where I need to be putting in the effort. Thanks for your support, the more reviews, the more likely I am to write.**

* * *

There were screaming girls everywhere. I couldn't turn my head without seeing another child. Mrs. Cooper swore there were only nineteen in addition to Chrissy, but I was starting to doubt that. I was starting to regret letting Chrissy talk me into this, into coming to her birthday party. But then again, who could resist those wide eyes? I know I couldn't. I didn't think it would be that bad; just a few kids, nine, twelve at the most. As it turns out, every single one of Chrissy's friends just happen to be _So Random! _fans. You see my problem.

I promised about a million autographs. Okay, so it was only nineteen, but it seemed like a lot.

Time passed slowly. The girls played games, swam, created general havoc, while I watched from the sidelines with Chad. We sat in the grass side-by-side without talking. Both of us simply sat in silence, as casual observers, neither feeling the need to say anything. We casually leaned against one another. He was humming softly to himself and I could tell that it was the tune of the song he had played for Chrissy and I that one day. Soon it was time for the birthday girl to open her presents, so everybody migrated towards the patio to where the gifts were stacked.

"Chrissy," Mrs. Cooper raised her voice above the excited girls, "We have one last gift for you. This one was picked out by your dad."

Chrissy's eyes grew larger as she took in her mother's words. I could see how pleased she was to hear that her dad, who was overseas, had thought of her on her birthday.

I looked for another gift, but saw nothing; everything that had been sitting on the glass table was now unwrapped and lying in a heap. That's when I noticed something, or rather the lack of something. Chad had disappeared.

He appeared in the glass doorway onto the patio. In his hands was the cutest golden retriever puppy I had ever seen. She was still quite small, obviously just weaned from her mother.

Chrissy hugged the puppy as soon as Chad set her down at her feet. She stroked the blond hair lovingly. "Her name is Peaches," she announced loudly to the other party-goers.

Chad stifled a laugh as he sat back down next to me, and I smacked him in the shoulder with the back of my hand.

"What?" he clearly didn't know why I was smacking him.

"Don't laugh at your sister!"

"Come on, Sonny, honestly, who names a dog after a fruit?"

I looked at my knees.

His face lit up as he came to a conclusion, "You would. You would name a dog after a fruit."

"Hey," I replied defensively, "Peaches is a view cute name for a dog."

He still seemed to be doubtful.

"It could be worse, at least it's not Apple."

"Or Orange," he grinned at me as he spoke the words.

"Chad," Chrissy's voice came out in a whine.

He removed his attention from our conversation and raised an eyebrow.

"Will you please… pretty please… with a cherry on top, play for us?" She unleashed the full force of her gorgeous eyes on him. I felt bad for him, because she was about to get her way.

He sighed, "Sure, little sis. I'll go get my guitar."

Not moments later, he appeared with his guitar, the black strap over his shoulder. He fiddled with it for a moment once he sat down on a wooden stool that his mother must have brought out when I wasn't paying attention.

"Alright girls, what do you want to hear?"

Immediately, the girls started shouting out song titles. I couldn't understand a single thing they said. As soon as the first notes began to flow from the strings a hush came over them. I was just barely able to make out the tune before the girls began to cheer and dance. I had to suppress my grin when I recognized the tune. It was none other than a song by the _Jonas Brothers_, who were still horribly popular amongst tweens. I was going to have to tease him about this later. This was one thing that I could not let him live down without a little bit of light teasing. I nearly fell out of my seat when I heard Chad begin to sing. His voice wasn't mind-blowing, but it was decent. It wouldn't take him anywhere, but it was good enough to substitute for an eight-year old's party.

As I watched him entertain his sister's friends, Peaches scrambled over to me and sat in my lap. Her silky fur tickled my skin, while her soft tongue caressed my skin with her short licks. I picked her up gently and rubbed the top of her head. My mind began to wander and as I stroked the hair of the retriever, I imagined that I was doing the same thing to Chad's own blond hair, but I knew that was ridiculous. Chad and I weren't like that, we were friends, companion's from time to time, but not that. Anything but that. There was no relationship between us other than friends and there probably never would be.

My thoughts were interrupted when the music came to an end. Chad had stopped strumming and Chrissy was looking up at him expectantly. I grinned, Chad was done for; he was about to get roped into something, even if he didn't want to do it. She scrambled over to her brother, her crutches clicking. She whispered into his ear and he visibly grimaced, however, she still won. As she sat down at her brother's feet with her friends, Chad began to strum the guitar once more. I recognized the tune, it was a tune that had been engraved in my mind the first time I heard it. This was the song he hadn't finished.

You´re better then the best  
I´m lucky just to linger in your life  
Cooler then the flip side of my pillow that´s right  
Completely unaware  
Nothing can compare to where you send me  
Lets me know that it´s ok yeah it´s ok  
And the moments when my good times start to fade

You make me smile like the sun  
Fall out of bed  
Sing like a bird  
Dizzy in my head  
Spin like a record  
Crazy on a Sunday night  
You make me dance like a fool  
Forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold  
Buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
Ohh you make me smile

Even when you´re gone  
Somehow you come along  
Just like a flower poking through the sidewalk crack and just like that  
You steal away the rain and just like that

You make me smile like the sun  
Fall out of  
bed sing like bird  
Dizzy in my head spin like a record  
Crazy on a Sunday night  
You make me dance like a fool  
Forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold  
buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
Ohh you make me smile

Don´t know how I lived without you  
Cuz everytime that I get around you  
I see the best of me inside your eyes  
You make me smile  
You make me dance like a fool  
Forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold  
buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild

You make me smile like the sun  
Fall out of bed  
sing like bird  
Dizzy in my head  
spin like a record  
Crazy on a Sunday night  
You make me dance like a fool  
Forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold  
buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
Ohh you make me smile  
Ohh you make me smile  
Ohh you make me smile

* * *

**Credit to Uncle Kracker for "Smile" **


	6. Chapter 6

So I feel awful because I haven't updated in who knows how long, college life got in the way. However, then I realized that reviews were lack luster and I don't feel so bad anymore. Come on, you guys were doing really well, and now, not so much. If you don't like where it is going, you guys have to tell me... I can't read minds, however, that would be awesome. That would be my choice superpower, after invisibility of course. Now that I've bored you to death... on with the story.

* * *

The next few days were comfortable. I don't really have another way to describe it. Chad and I hung out during our free time, nothing big. Sometimes it was ice cream cones after work or just swimming with Chrissy. I especially looked forward to spending time with her. She was the little sister that I wished I had; unfortunately, my parents never gave me a sibling. I hadn't talked to Chad about the song yet. I figured that it wasn't something that he wanted to discuss, when he was ready, he would tell me. That's what I learned about him, when he was ready I would know, but until then, nothing. If you pushed him, it would end up angering him. So I waited. It killed me to wait, I was dying to know, but it was in my best interest not to push.

I was having quite a difficult day on Friday. My cast was a mess. Tawni had experienced a recent break up and wouldn't let anyone, and I mean anyone forget it. We couldn't go five minutes without hearing about it. Heck, we were lucky if we went five minutes without hearing about her and Ben. Zora, was well, Zora, I'm not sure there's another way to describe her behavior. She had met someone online who was just as devious and well, let's just say odd, as her and they were trading tactics of pranking people. As it just so happens, I was her target for a large majority of her stunts. Grady and Nico weren't too bad for once, and let me tell you, they have their moments, but they weren't easy to talk to. They believed that everything has an easy fix, such as a fro-yo, they don't realize that sometimes I just need to talk.

So I found myself walking over to the Mackenzie Falls set, intent on finding Chad. I found that he was easy to talk to, and after a day like this, he was exactly what I needed. I never thought I'd be thinking that: that I'd be going to Chad of all people to vent, to talk.

When I couldn't find him, I went directly to Chloe. Since I had spent so much time with Chad recently, I had found that she was the nicest of the drama snobs.

"Do you know where Chad is?"

"Actually, he took the day off. I'm not sure what he's doing though," she shrugged her shoulders before continuing on, while reading the script in her hands.

"Hey, Chloe?" I called after her, "What's today's date?"

She thought for a minute and then responded, "The seventeenth. Why?"

"Don't worry about it," I yelled back at her as I spun on my heel and raced out of the studio. It hit me as soon as the words left her mouth. Chrissy's birthday was exactly seven days ago. Chad had told me that Chrissy was having her second surgery a week after her birthday. He wasn't here today because he was at the hospital to support his sister.

I didn't have time to think about what a great brother he was. All I could think about was being there for him. I could safely say that we were friends and that friends are there for their friends when facing difficult times. I think this counted. I shouted to Tawni that I was leaving when I passed her. Not that she was concerned, she had her own _problems_. I wasn't concerned about leaving "early" as we had finished rehearsals early.

I saw him the moment I stepped into the waiting room. He was pacing along the far side of the room. Sweat was forming around the collar of his green button shirt. His hair was slightly ruffled as he kept running his hand through his golden locks.

I walked over to him and gently removed his hands from his hair, "The Chad Dylan Cooper I know would never have messy hair in public."

He jumped slightly when I spoke. When he realized who it was his tense expression morphed into some kind of smile. It wasn't great, but it was a start. I could read his feelings easily, as they were plastered on his face. He was overly worried and stressed. The faint rings around his eyes proved that he had been restless and hadn't slept well.

"What are you doing here?" his face was now full of confusion.

"I'm being a friend and that means being here for you," I'm pretty sure that my voice had the indication that I shouldn't have to be explaining this, however, I'm pretty sure that he wasn't going to pick up on it, which was good for me.

"Ok, well then. How did you know where to find me?"

Again, my tone probably worked against my sincerity. I shouldn't have to be explaining this, "I went looking for you and you weren't on your set. I realized what the date was and put two and two together."

He was about to ask more questions, but I interrupted him, "Your mom told me about it a long time ago. Chad, I'm your friend and I care about you. I want to be here for you. Besides, how could I not be there for my biggest fan?"

For once I think he was dumb struck. He didn't seem to know what to say. In the end he consented and we sat side-by-side in those horrible plastic chairs. They were worse than those chairs you are given at middle school and expected to sit in for long hours. I ignored how the chair made my back sore and how much I ached to move. I couldn't, I was rooted to my seat and knew that I wouldn't be leaving until my companion did.

It seemed like forever that we sat in a comfortable silence. Chad seemed to be trying to remain calm, though I'm not sure how much it was working. He was impatiently tapping his foot and continually pulled his phone out to check the time.

I placed a hand over his anxious one, as once again he began to reach for his phone. Chad glanced at me briefly, anxiety all over his face. I wish I could make things better for him, but there wasn't a way. Calmly, I tried to reason with him, "Chad, it's been five minutes since you last checked your phone, calm down. It will be fine."

For the first time I saw point-blank fear. He was terrified. Afraid the surgery wouldn't help his sister. He was terrorized by the thought that she might not make it through the procedure. That risk was low, but there was always that risk. That's when I realized that Christina was the most important thing in his life. She mattered more than his career, than any relationship he had ever been in; she was the shinning light in his life. I was impressed by his devotion to her, until recently, I would have never guessed that this was possible.

As we sat together, waiting agonizing minute after agonizing minute I realized something else. I was falling for Chad Dylan Cooper. There was something about him that drew me in. It was a slow gradual thing. He had become one of my best friends; he was easier to talk to than anyone. I could tell him things I couldn't even tell Lucy. That's the great thing about guys, you can talk to them with simple honesty that most girls don't appreciate. There's no need for gossip, we could have meaningful conversations with ease. He had become a rock in my life. I could count on him to be there when I needed him and for the most part, he was pretty consistent in his behavior. I looked forward to seeing him and found myself disappointed if I went a day without seeing him.

The door opened. We looked up at the same time and I grabbed Chad's hand reassuringly. A nurse approached us with a guarded expression. My throat tightened. I was hoping, praying that nothing had gone wrong. This was horrible, this waiting thing.

"Chad Dylan Cooper?"

He looked at her expectantly.

* * *

Haha, cliffy. I'm horribly mean. Review and maybe you guys will get your next chapter. If I feel like being nice, and that's a big IF because the reviews have been depressing.

If you push the button there will be a smiley face cookie in your future. (I can't believe I just did that)


	7. Chapter 7

I updated as soon as I could type this up and my computer would let me upload it. Our internet is horrible up here. Sorry to all of you who believed that I made you wait too long. I'll try not to do that to you again. Maybe not, it depends on whether you cooperate and review. Without further adieu.

* * *

"_Chad Dylan Cooper?"_

_He looked at her expectantly._

"Can I get a photo with you?"

I think Chad would have punched the woman if I hadn't grabbed his arm. He made to stand up, but I forced him into his chair. He gritted his teeth venomously, and I almost felt sorry for the woman. Almost, she was an idiot.

"Sure," he spoke sarcastically, "I'm waiting to hear about my sister's operation, so this is a perfect opportunity for a photo op."

I'm not sure the nurse caught his sarcastic tone. She was lucky that she wasn't given the opportunity to respond, because if she did, I have a feeling that she would sporting a bloody nose. Luckily, another nurse approached us, her tone friendly.

"Mr. Cooper?" at Chad's nod, she continued speaking, this time to our unwanted guest, "Francesca, don't you have a patient to attend to?" Her tone wasn't questioning, but commanding. Thank god, our friend took the hint and hurried back through the double doors.

"Now that she's gone," our savior, or more accurately, Francesca's savior returned her attention to us, "Your sister is out of the OR, she did fine. She'll be a little groggy for a couple of hours, but you can go see her now."

Chad and I let out a breath when the nurse's words sunk in. I hadn't realized that I was even holding my breath. The two of us stood up at once. I made to follow Chad through the double doors, but the nurse held out her arm to stop me.

"Family only."

"But," I tried to protest, even though I knew it would be useless.

"Family only."

Chad turned towards me, his blue eyes searching mine. He pleaded with me silently. He wanted me to be with him; he didn't want to leave me, but he needed to see his sister. His eyes asked me to do the right thing; he didn't want to make the decision, and I wouldn't make him.

"Go ahead. Go see your sister. Call me later and let me know how she's doing." I gently released his hand. I had forgotten that I was still holding it.

Slowly, he pulled me into a hug. As he did, he spoke into my ear, "Thanks, Sonny. I'll call you tonight."

He released me and turned to follow the nurse to Chrissy's room.

I returned home to sit and wait. Again, I was waiting, and I hated it. I knew that she was fine, that everything had gone as planned. Still, I didn't know how she was feeling. I wanted to hear her giggling voice as she teased her older brother.

So I lay on my bed for two hours, anxiously waiting for his call. I had never wanted to hear his voice this much. I ended up listening to his song in my head. I had only heard it once, but it was still clear as day in my mind. I was like a fan girl who could recount every word. Finally I got sick of thinking about him and his sister, I couldn't take it anymore. I cranked up my favorite cd and flipped through a fashion magazine I borrowed from Tawni. She thought I needed some wardrobe advice.

I found myself mirroring Chad in the waiting room. I was checking my phone every few minutes. I had just about given up and decided to call him myself, although he wasn't supposed to have his phone on. As I began to dial, the phone began to moo. I had never been more grateful to hear that sound. Without looking at the caller id, I swiftly answered.

"Chad?"

"Sonny? This is Grady."

Not the voice I wanted to hear.

"What's up, Grady?"

"Girl, why do you sound so disappointed? Is something going on between you and Chad, because I can take care of it for you."

"No!" I responded with a little too much rejection.

"Fine, don't tell me what's going on." He was upset with me; I could hear it in his voice.

"Grady, it's nothing. What did you call me about?"

"Nico and I were wondering if you wanted to go to the arcade."

"Sorry, Grady, I've got plans for tonight."

"With Chad?" Boy was he persistent.

"No, I'm having a girl night." I felt bad for lying to him, but I couldn't tell him the truth.

"Oh, well, have fun," and he hung up.

And so I returned to my impatient waiting. I decided that I couldn't bug Chad just yet. It hadn't been long enough yet.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the phone rang again. This time I made sure to check to see who was calling. My face broke into a smile automatically. It was funny how things worked.

"Sonny," his voice came over the phone.

"Chad, I'm so glad you called." I could almost hear him smirk on the other side of the line. I didn't care what he thought.

"I told you I would, and Chad Dylan Cooper always keeps his promises." I didn't point out that the statement was less than true.

"Tell me about Chrissy," I demanded him.

"She's as active and loud as she's allowed. She was disappointed when she realized that you weren't there. She thought you had betrayed her."

I smiled at the thought.

"I told her that they wouldn't let you come back because you weren't family. Do you want to know what her response was?"

Of course I wanted to know what she said. Had we been having a face to face conversation, I would have given him a pointed look, however, that was impossible. I had to settle for a simple response.

"Do tell."

"She said, 'Sonny is family. At least she will be when Chaddy marries her, doesn't that count for anything?'"

I giggled over the line. Okay, that was an understatement. I was overcome with laughter. I was laughing so hard I had to lean back against my bedspread. I could hear his chuckles over the phone. I finally gained my composure enough to form a response.

"Typical, Chrissy."

"Yeah," he continued to tell me everything that had happened in the hospital room. He kept me entertained for nearly three hours. Before I knew it, it was almost midnight. I couldn't help but get caught up in his recount. It almost felt as though I was family. I liked what we had; this was the kind of friendship I had always wanted with him. Actually, it was better than I imagined it could be. As my digital clock flashed midnight, I realized that I really needed to get to bed.

"Chad, I'm sorry, but I've really got to go to bed."

"Aww, Hollywood's good girl can't stay up past her bedtime," his jest was ruined by his yawn at the end of his sentence.

"Sounds like Hollywood's bad boy can't either."

"Touché," he replied, "Listen, I'll pick you up in the morning and we can go see Chrissy. They'll let you back now; they don't allow anyone else back when a patient gets out of surgery."

"That'd be great, Chad."

We made plans for the next day and then said our goodbyes.

* * *

Done. I've got exciting plans for the next chapter. I'm really excited. Remember if you want quick updates you need to review. I was encouraged by the last chapter's reviews, but I think you can do better. I know you can do better. Prove me right. Thanks to all of you who have favorited this story (by the way, favorited, not a word) and who have put it on story alert. That makes my day. And so do reviews, even if they are just simply "update" "liked it" or "hated it" Give me something to work with. If you have ideas, tell me and I'll see what I can do about incorporating them as long as they work with the plot and the direction the story is taking. Let's see if we can make it to 50 reviews that's only 13 more. Whoever writes in the 50th will get a shout out.


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry about not posting sooner. I feel extremely guilty. Apparently my classes all decided to get tough at the same time, so I had little time to do anything else. When I did have free time the last thing I felt like doing was writing, since I had already been working on long essays for class. Good news is it's almost over and in about a month I will be on break. However, I probably won't be posting until then. I've got exams and then for November I'm doing this thing called Nanowrimo. If you've never heard of it you should check it out. Basically you have exactly 30 days (November) no more no less to write a novel. 50,000 words is the minimum and if you don't get 50,000 you fail, which is really disappointing. So, I'm working extra hard to complete that while staying on top of my course work. And because I've made you wait long enough, I'm going to let you get onto the story.

* * *

I awoke the next morning to my phone ringing. Rubbing the gunk out of my eyes, I peered at the screen. Chad was calling me.

"Hello?" my voice groggy from sleep.

"Sonny, hey. Are you ready?"

"Ready?" I was confused, what would I possibly be ready for on a Saturday morning.

"Chrissy? Remember, we were supposed to go see her at the hospital."

Aw crap. I rolled over and glanced at the clock. The glowing red numbers glared at me. I was supposed to be up half an hour ago.

"I'm going to take your silence as a no."

"Chad, I'm sorry, I haven't gotten up yet. I'll let you in so you don't have to wait outside."

Not a moment later I heard the doorbell chime. Man that boy moves fast. When I opened the door to let him in, he smirked at me.

"Like the clothes, Monroe."

Shoot, I forgot about that. I'm standing with my door open to Chad Dylan Cooper in gym shorts and an oversized t-shirt. There is nothing embarrassing about that.

"Shut up, Chad" I replied as he finally walked in so that I could close the door.

He was glancing around the apartment with interest. It was beyond me as to why he found it that interesting, but whatever.

"Do you want anything to drink?" I spoke, having decided to break the silence.

He stopped staring at everything and looked back at me, "Do you have orange juice?"

I poured him a glass before returning to my room to change. I was busily brushing my teeth when a funny noise came from the other room. Ignoring it, I quickly finished getting ready. When I exited the bathroom, Chad was waiting for me, sitting on my bed.

"What do you think you are doing?"

He turned his head in my direction, "Waiting for you."

"In my room?"

"So, you've seen mine. I wanted to see yours."

"You're lucky my mom is in Wisconsin for the time being. She would have killed you."

"Nah, Connie would have forgiven me."

"Need I remind you that it isn't appropriate for you to be calling my mother Connie?"

"Come on, let's go. We are running out of time to go shopping. Chrissy is expecting us at eleven thirty."

We looked at several different stores, not finding anything appropriate for an eight year old girl in the hospital.

When we were in the fifth toy store, I finally found something for Chrissy. It was a stuffed golden retriever. It was extremely soft and it reminded me of Peaches, who I'm sure Chrissy missed like crazy.

Chad came up from behind me and scoffed, "Sonny, she has a dog, why would she need a stuffed animal that looks like it?"

"You probably don't understand, but some people would miss their pet when they are away from home. Besides, isn't the point to make the hospital seem a little more like home?"

He sighed and gestured for me to hurry up.

"Did you find something?"

He held up a box, already gift wrapped with a bow and everything.

"When did you get that?"

"When you were too busy looking at all the stuffed animals and hugging them. I am never going to let you live this down. Thought I'd give you a heads up."

I used the stuffed dog to hit him over the head before heading to the checkout. On my way there, I saw a selection of coloring books. As part of a last minute purchase, I grabbed a couple of Disney ones and a pack of crayons. Ten minutes later, I was all check out, my presents in a gift bag with pretty pink tissue paper. Chad placed his hand on the small of my back, pushing me in the right direction. I thought about moving away from him, but decided against it. There was something about the feel of his hand on my back that I enjoyed. So against my better judgment, I allowed it to remain there.

It didn't take us long to drive over to the hospital. This time the nurse let me in without a fuss. For this I was grateful, I didn't want to have to go through that again. It seems that our friend Francesca was given the day off; either that or she was ordered to stay away from us. This was a relief to be polite about it. Nobody else in the hospital was impressed that two celebrities were walking through the waiting room and down the halls. Everyone else was too busy or concerned about loved ones to pay us any attention.

When we entered Chrissy's room, she was staring intensely at the door. Her precious face had a frown on it as she spoke directly to her brother.

"You're late."

I looked at my watch. It was seven minutes past eleven thirty. She was sure a stickler for being on time.

After hugging her, we sat down in the plastic chairs next to the bed, setting our packages down on the floor. For the first time since we entered the room, I studied her. She was still the same Chrissy, that's for sure. However, the IV's sticking out of her arms and the monitor hooked up to her chest made her seem so much more fragile. It amazed me how much different she looked. Her blonde hair was tied back, and it was greasy from the lack of bathing. Her leg was in a cast, with metal braces keeping it completely straight. I didn't get to pay much more attention to her appearance because Chrissy had decided it was time to talk to me.

"I'm glad you came, Sonny. Chaddy told me that they wouldn't let you come back yesterday."

"That's right. I heard that you set them straight, Chrissy."

"Of course I did. What else was I supposed to do? You're family; you're almost like my big sister."

I grinned at her. Those words made my day. It was great to see how much the girl liked me.

"So, I see you guys brought me presents. Can I open them?" she asked, her small eyes sparkling with excitement.

Chad made to hand her his package, but she shook her head.

"Sonny's first."

I shot him a victorious smile and handed her the bag. She quickly pulled out the tissue paper, throwing it carelessly on the floor. Her eyes lit up even more when she caught sight of the stuffed animal. Pulling it out by an ear, she hugged it close.

"It looks like Peaches!"

I throw Chad another triumphant smile before turning back to his over excited sister. She had pulled out the coloring books and laid them on the bed next to her. She now held her hand out expectantly for Chad's gift. He handed it to her and she had the wrapping paper off in two seconds flat. He had bought her a board game. It wasn't one I had heard of, but it looked like it could be fun.

"Chaddy, can we play the game now?"

"Why do you think I bought it?" he asked her before opening it and beginning to read the instructions.

We played the game twice. I let Chrissy win the first time, but the second game was more heated. Chad ended up being the victor and we ganged up on him accusing him of cheating. We spent a good four hours in the hospital room, playing games and telling jokes.

Finally it was time to go and we bade our goodbyes. Chrissy made me promise to come back again before she left the hospital as we were heading out the door.

"Thanks for letting me come, Chad. I had a great day." I told him as we stood outside my apartment later that afternoon.

"Me too. I'll call you tomorrow; maybe we could go grab lunch at the new diner on Broad."

"It sounds like a plan."


End file.
